JHABUA: Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Gopal Bhargava said at a campaign rally here on Tuesday that if the BJP won the Assembly by-election, Shivraj Singh Chouhan will return to power.
The ruling Congress took exception to the statement, alleging that he was hinting at the imminent toppling of the Kamal Nath government in the state.
Speaking at a rally, Bhargava said, "If your elect (BJP candidate) Bhanu Bhuria with a huge margin, I promise you that Chouhan would become chief minister again after Diwali."
The by-election will be held on October 21 and the result would be out on October 24.
State Congress spokesperson Neelabh Shukla said that Bhargava's statement was a clear hint that there would be an attempt to topple the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.
Such a statement was a violation of the election code of conduct, he alleged.
Later, speaking to reporters in Indore, Bhargava said he was not talking about toppling the government.
The BJP was not in the position to form the government in the state, he said.
Bhanu Buria, who is making his electoral debut, will be taking on Congress veteran Kantilal Bhuria.
The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of MLA G S Damor after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ratlam-Jhabua parliamentary seat.